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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24508951">Spidey Adventures Are Out There!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethy_277/pseuds/bethy_277'>bethy_277</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>An UP AU, BAMF Peter Parker, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Peter Parker, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:53:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,022</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24508951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethy_277/pseuds/bethy_277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony sighed as he sat in the armchair by the window, glancing to his side to see the empty armchair where Pepper had spent her evenings. He had lost his wife just a few months before, and Tony was still reeling from the suddenness of it all. There had been zero warning before she had gone, and not something that Tony had ever considered. He had thought he would be the first to go- Pepper had seemed far healthier than he was, and she was gone, and he was still here, dealing with the loss, and trying to get through each day.</p><p>-<br/>The UP AU</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Irondad Big Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi all! This was my first time participating in Irondad Big Bang (I wrote a Mini Bang) and I really liked it! I've been wanting to do an UP AU so I figured now was the time. :)<br/>The art you see here is from my amazing author Lunalia.</p><p>This is two chapters and I will be posting the second chapter on Thursday. :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>As Tony Stark looked at his beloved wife across the room from him, he felt the love surge through him. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He had never thought that he would be lucky enough to have her after all the terrible relationships that he had been through in his life. There had been so many bad decisions and actions that he had done before and after he had met her. Pepper had stood by him, and he had stood by her through all of the ups and downs- including their struggles with having children. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pepper had wanted nothing more than to have a child, and they had never been successful- never really knowing why. The last attempt had put Pepper’s life at risk, and they had stopped immediately- shedding many, many tears and thoughts about the lives that they would never share with a child. His experiences with his parents hadn’t been great, but he had known that Pepper would have been an incredible mother, and any child of theirs would have been so lucky to have her as their mother.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They had managed to never argue about it, both steadfast in the knowledge that they needed to stop trying. The only time that they had been close to an argument had been when Tony had suggested the idea of adoption at one point, and Pepper had said no so quickly and harshly that he opted to never bring it up again. She had been so upset that they couldn’t bring their own child into the world after so many attempts and so many years, that she couldn’t think about anything beyond that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pepper glanced up at Tony and smiled at him when she saw him looking at her. Tony had taken a step back from his company in the past few years to spend more time with his wife. He had spent too many years putting too many hours at the company, and Pepper deserved more than that, especially after all that they had been through. Their hours had been one of the only things that the two of them had ever seriously argued about in their years of marriage. She had been upset with him when he had cancelled plans one too many times. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She had put up with a lot, but the two of them had been growing older, and they had plans to travel, and purchase a cabin in upstate New York, to be able to spend some time away from the bustling city and just be with one another as a duo. Tony had been searching to see who could take over from him of the company- Pepper had been the CEO and had found what she thought was a wonderful replacement, but Tony needed someone else on the team that he really trusted, and who would take care of the R&amp;D department that he had spent so many years developing and ensuring success.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“How are the engineers doing?” Pepper asked and Tony glanced down at his phone. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The engineers at the company had been doing some recruiting and searching for new employees- a few had stood out from the sea of applicants- namely Quentin Beck, and a kid named Peter Parker who was just out of college, but Tony had been trusting his employees judgments and hiring who they thought were qualified and capable of doing what the company needed. He had glanced through both resumes, and test scores and had agreed with those engineers, informing them that they could make those final decisions. Peter had especially shown high intelligence, and high test scores and Tony was sure that he would make some great improvements to the company.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“They’re fine.” Tony replied as he put the phone away, to put his hand out for Pepper to take hold of. It was something they always did when they were both in the chairs- one of them always putting a hand out for the other to hold. He loved holding her hands- they were soft but strong, and were so different from his own scarred and damaged hands from years of work in labs.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What do you think of that Parker kid?” Pepper asked and Tony nodded as he smiled at her. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He seems capable. I think if they hire him, he’d be a good addition to the team.” He smiled at her. “But enough work talk. Sunset time.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony sighed as he sat in the armchair by the window, glancing to his side to see the empty armchair where Pepper had spent her evenings. He had lost his wife just a few months before, and Tony was still reeling from the suddenness of it all. There had been zero warning before she had gone, and not something that Tony had ever considered. He had thought he would be the first to go- Pepper had seemed far healthier than he was, and she was gone, and he was still here, dealing with the loss, and trying to get through each day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had lost his best friend- Rhodey- just a few months before Pepper had been suddenly taken away from him, and for a while, Tony didn’t even know what was happening, with the company and life in general.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had passed the company over to Rhodey’s daughter, and her husband a few weeks prior and they had been doing amazing things in even just those few weeks- using their grief to promote the company. They were both incredibly capable and Tony- who had been pretty out of his mind with grief when he had passed it over- found that he didn’t regret it. He was still a major part of the company, and any major decisions still were going to be checked through him, but most of the day-to-day was handled by Christina and Mitch, and their boards as well as the CEO that Pepper had hired before she had gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony glanced beyond the armchair to see one of the photo frames that were sitting on the dresser. The picture was one of his favorites. It was himself and Pepper on their wedding day, Rhodey standing right behind them beaming at the two of them. It had been a beautiful, sunny summer day that had been perfect for an outdoor wedding and reception. He knew Pepper’s parents were standing somewhere outside of the shot, as well as the rest of her family. Tony’s family had been Rhodey- he hadn’t had anyone else. His parents had been killed in a car crash when Tony had been in college, and it had been Rhodey from there on out- until he had met Pepper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tears hit Tony again- the first ones of the day as he stared at the picture. The grief that he felt from losing the two of them so closely after one another had been like nothing else; more painful than losing his parents who he hadn’t been particularly close to. When he had gotten that call, he had mourned his mother and wished he hadn’t ignored her call the week before, but his relationship with his father had not been a good one, and he hadn’t found it in himself to be too upset about that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first few weeks he had found himself experiencing something and pulling out his phone to text the two of them, before realizing that he wasn’t able to do that anymore, and never would be again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first time he had realized that, he had thrown his phone halfway across the room- smashing a vase that Pepper had loved. That same vase was now sitting in their-his- bedroom, glued together with far too much glue, and extremely crooked. Pepper had been so excited when she had brought it home that Tony had done his best to try to salvage it instead of just throwing it away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he had been of a more sane mind at the time, it would have been a better salvage job but the tears had been flowing thick and heavy down his face, and he had hardly been able to see his work. He had been an engineer and had steady hands, but no one would ever guess that if they took a look at that vase. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were memories of both Pepper and Rhodey throughout the penthouse but Tony was so glad for them- pictures of their experiences, and the images that popped into his head from various moments throughout the years. He had expected so many more years with both of them, never expected those expectations to be cut so suddenly and quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There had been so many places that Tony &amp; Pepper hadn’t gotten to go to that they had planned, a cabin in Upstate New York that had never been bought. They had been looking the week prior to Pepper’s passing, but there hadn’t been a decision. A trip to Italy had been planned for a month after Pepper’s passing- she had pushed Tony through his grief of losing Rhodey- but he had cancelled that trip, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to do that without her. Maybe someday, but not any time soon. Maybe in the future, he would find himself walking those streets of Rome, exploring the canals of Venice and experiencing the wonders of the Italian countryside but not yet. Not yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony found himself in the armchairs every evening- looking at Pepper’s empty chair and  reflecting on their lives. Christina and Mitch checked in on him, but beyond that, he had been alone, and had become much more of an introvert, and spending time in his own company. The last time Christina had come to check on him, she had left some food and taken away all of the alcohol that he had accumulated. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had actually stepped out of the penthouse- resorting to deliveries for anything he needed. It had seemed like far too much energy to leave, and go anywhere. He had been the heir of a large company, and too many people knew who he was. After Pepper had died, there had been far too many people outside the building who had been trying to see him, share their condolences, and he had actively avoided them as much as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew the news had been speculating that no one had seen him in months, speculating about the future of SI with Christina and Mitch at the helm, speculating about the future of Tony Stark, but he hadn’t been able to find anything in him to truly care. A lot of life hadn’t seemed worth it the moment Pepper had breathed her last breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found himself in his armchair now as the day ended, watching the sunset through the large windows of the penthouse. The sunset had always been Pepper’s favorite time of the day- she loved the colors that the time of the evening could bring, and the prospect of a day ending and bringing a new day with new experiences and options. They had seen many a sunset, holding hands as the day ended, before taking themselves off to their bedroom. Tony could only be glad that one of the last things Pepper had ever seen had been the sunset, the other one being Tony’s face. It had been a spectacular sunset on the night that he had lost her- a mash of colors spread throughout the sky. She had remarked on how beautiful it was- one of the last comments that she had ever made, before she was gone from the world, despite Tony’s begging of her to stay with him. He had tried to be strong for her so she wouldn’t go out afraid, but he didn’t think that he had succeeded. She had managed to bring her hand up to touch Tony’s face one last time, and he had held it long after she had gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been thinking much more about getting out of the city, and buying a cabin for himself- the cabin that they had looked at before Pepper had died was still available. He had reached out to the estate company inquiring about it, and then had backed out all within a few days. He didn’t know if he could leave the penthouse behind that had so many memories and hints of Pepper, and also Rhodey. He couldn’t imagine someone else living there, erasing those memories of the three of them that they had created over so many years. It didn’t sit right with him to say goodbye to that, no matter how much Pepper had wanted them to get out of the city, and how much she had wanted them to travel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he sat there, he heard a knock on the door and turned around. He pushed himself up from the chair, assuming it was Christina or Mitch dropping by, as no one actually knew where he lived. He headed towards the door, his hand trailing along the wall of pictures lining the wall- a wedding picture, pictures taken for Pepper’s 40th birthday, Rhodey’s 40th and other important memories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back so soon?” He called out when he threw open the door- surprised to see that neither Christina nor Mitch were there, but a tall, gangly young looking adult stood there instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” He asked the man as he raised his eyebrows. The person looked familiar to Tony but he couldn’t quite figure it out. The brown haired person brushed his curls out of his eyes, and shrugged the backpack more onto his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony Stark?” The other person asked incredulously and Tony nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Peter Parker. I work at Stark Industries.” The man introduced himself as he stuck his hand out for a handshake, and Tony immediately knew why he looked familiar. He had never heard if Peter had been hired by the company, but now knew that answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How old are you?” He asked before he could stop himself, ignoring the hand Peter still held out.. It had been a couple of years since he had seen the resume, but Peter looked extremely young still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m 23.” Peter replied slightly sheepishly as he adjusted the backpack on his back and brought his hand back down to his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s young.” Tony replied as he looked Peter up and down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, uh- I took some college classes in high school, so I only went to college for a few years before I got my degree. My friend- Ned- he was really mad at me when I left him at MIT. He’s graduating this year, and is applying for a job at Stark Industries. He really wants to do Computer Security,” Peter smiled at Tony before continuing, “He once hacked into Oscorp when we were in High School, and it became this big thing- they were doing experiments that my other friend MJ didn’t agree with. He got an acceptance to MIT way before I did.” Peter stopped, as he noticed what Tony was sure was an incredulous looking expression on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um- okay, that was way too much information and I am sure that you don’t care about any of that.” Peter’s face turned pink as Tony felt himself half-smiling at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t shut the door in this kids’ face yet, he would have done it to anyone else, but something about this Peter Parker was highly endearing to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered the news when it had come out that Oscorp had been doing illegal experiments- he had been absolutely delighted that one of the main competitors to SI had gotten into trouble, and their stocks had declined pretty rapidly. The hackers’ name hadn’t been mentioned so he had zero idea that it had been a teenager in high school. Tony of a year ago would have already been on the phone, demanding that an offer be given to the kid to work at SI. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should tell you why I’m here.” Peter said quickly, and Tony nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without thinking, he opened the door wider and motioned the kid in. Peter’s eyes widened but he walked through the door, and into the penthouse. Tony watched as he glanced around and his eyes landed on one of the pictures on the wall that Tony had just run his hand along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m really sorry about your wife, and friend.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine kid.” Tony said quickly, not wanting to focus on Pepper or Rhodey. The tears were still there, right behind his eyes and he didn’t feel like sharing that with a stranger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a kid.” Peter shot back before he clapped a hand over his mouth in horror. Tony heard himself give a bark of laughter before he collected himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re basically a kid still.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I looked on the SI servers to find out exactly where you live, and I wanted to ask if you would help me with something.” Peter asked Tony, his eyes looking far too hopeful and Tony sighed inwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t do any creating any more kid. You should talk to one of the R&amp;D directors if you would like their approval to create something.” Tony replied and Peter’s face dropped slightly. “You came out here for nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just-” Peter started and then glanced at Tony, who nodded at him to go on. “You’ve been such an inspiration to me for so long, and the reason why I only applied to work at Stark Industries. I didn’t know what I was going to do if I didn’t get to work there. And I’m really excited about this idea, and wanted to see if you would help me. My aunt was always pushing me to follow my potential, and I want to follow this idea.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid.” Tony motioned to Peter to sit down at one of the chairs by the island, and once he had done so, he went to stand the other side of it. “I don’t create anything anymore. I’m sure your idea is great, but it’s not something I can help you with. And I am not someone who should be an inspiration.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you are-” Peter protested. “I know all about everything you’ve done with the company, and the green initiatives you put into place.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was all Pepper.” Tony interjected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I looked up to her too, and Colonel Rhodes. I work with his son-in-law at the moment. You have created so many amazing things. My aunt told me I was Tony Stark for 5 consecutive Halloween’s.” Peter protested, and Tony half-smiled again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me about the idea kid. I can maybe give you some pointers.” Tony instructed, and Peter’s face lit up. “I’m not helping you with it, I can just give you some pointers if I can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter reached into his backpack that was sitting next to him, and pulled out a pile of papers which he set on the counter. Tony could see different designs and formulas scattered throughout the pages. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it’s a holographic technology that uses illusions. It’s designed to connect with a user’s hippocampus so that a memory can be found and altered to help a user to overcome a bad experience. I want to help people use it for therapy.” Peter explained as he pulled some of the papers to the top. “I’m just having a hard time getting some of the details firmed up, and I thought you would be able to help me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony couldn’t help but stare at the kid- completely gobsmacked. He hadn’t anticipated anything of this nature for what the kid would suggest to him. He was sure his jaw was hanging open as Peter kept talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s-” Peter stopped talking as he glanced back up from the papers to Tony’s face. “Oh, um- if you don’t think it’s a good idea, then I won’t keep working on it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No kid.” Tony shook his head. “I think it’s a great idea, but you have most of the idea done. You don’t need my suggestions on anything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony could tell he was reaching the end of his capability of talking to another person. He did like this kid, and thought he was extremely intelligent and capable, but his mental capacity to be chatty was ending. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, are you sure?” Peter asked and Tony nodded. He started gathering up Peter’s papers and handed them back over to him. Peter frowned but he put the papers into his backpack before zipping it back up, and hopping off the chair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure. It is a great idea kid. I’m sure you can do a lot with it.” Tony walked away from the kitchen’s island and towards the door, checking that the kid was coming behind him. Peter was frowning as he headed towards the door, and Tony knew that he had disappointed him by saying no. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really did believe that the kid had potential, but he simply didn’t have the energy to assist him in his ideas. He was still too busy grieving, and just trying to get through each day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well bye?” Peter asked as he walked out the door, and Tony nodded at him before he shut the door behind him. Once the door was shut, he sagged against it, letting his legs fold underneath him until he was sitting on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered sitting here one night with Pepper not long after they had been married. It had been a night after the company had seen a major increase in stakeholders and they had been celebrating. A copious amount of wine had been consumed, and it had been a truly wonderful night that ended in the bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Tony looked around, he knew realistically that he couldn’t stay in the city. He needed to get away from here, but it would be incredibly hard. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and opened it up to where he could access his AI that he had created. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“FRIDAY?” He called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss?” The AI called back out to him. FRIDAY had been a creation of his that had been a work of many, many years. He had only perfected her a year or so before, and would have kept working to incorporate her into more aspects of the company, but for now she just stayed on his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I wanted to take this penthouse with me, is that feasible?” The thought popped into his head as he vocalized it. Maybe he could take the penthouse with him, while he got out of the city. The city had been through a lot with aliens and flying machines- he could potentially configure this penthouse to fly, couldn’t he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want the penthouse to fly, boss?” FRIDAY asked from the phone, and Tony nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is exactly what I want FRI.” He replied, as he started to think about the prospect of that in his head. He owned the floor below the penthouse that was never used for more than storing anything, so any damage would theoretically be covered by the company. He wouldn’t be taking the roof from anyone who lived below, and he would pay for anything was needed. He would let the company know after he took off that he was going to do it, and that they needed to pay damages, they didn’t need to know anything ahead of time. If Christine and Mitch found out, they would most certainly discourage him from doing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a challenge boss.” FRIDAY replied, and Tony shook his head, ideas already flowing into his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There have been aliens and other flying creatures FRIDAY. I think a flying penthouse is pretty normal these days.” Tony replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pushed himself up off the floor as he glanced around the penthouse. Things would need to be boxed up to protect them, and items would need to be covered and bolted down. There was no way he was going to get rid of anything in this penthouse- Pepper had designed the entire thing, and he was not going to lose anything that she had brought in, even if had teased her about some of the items when she had brought them in. He hadn’t actually gotten rid of anything of Pepper’s- her clothes still hung in the closet, her jewelry on the bedside table where she had left it the night before, and the book she had been reading still on the bed. He had attempted to clear out her side of the closet once and ended up curled in a ball crying in the corner of said closet.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi all- sorry for delaying in adding the chapter here!</p><p>The art should be linked here from my artist, so I really really hope it worked!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You need to bolt down that table over there boss.” FRIDAY called out to Tony as he hammered down the side of the chair by the Island. He glanced over at the coffee table that FRIDAY was referring to, and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had spent two months getting everything prepared to fly the penthouse. He had found a space in Upstate New York that he loved, and was sure that Pepper would have loved. Tony had told the agent that he was going to build a house on it- and he eventually would someday. The penthouse had been outfitted to be more of an apartment and safe enough to be on its own without any other structural support. The penthouse already ran off of self-sustaining energy, so he didn’t have to worry about there not being any electricity or power in the area that he had chosen. It was right on the edge of a cliff that jutted out over a beautiful lake, and the perfect place to be on his own, with just FRIDAY.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Figuring out how to make the penthouse fly had been difficult and had taken Tony many days, and quite a number of explosions before he had been able to figure out how to make it fly, and how to separate it from the building. FRIDAY had been helpful in figuring it out, and he now had blueprints scattered throughout the penthouse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The past two months had felt like he had a purpose again, and had kept him getting up day after day. He had woken up every morning with a new idea, and new things that he needed to protect. There were boxes scattered around the penthouse with pictures carefully wrapped up and placed inside, vases and decorations in others, and then secured against the walls as much as possible. The crooked vase had been specially wrapped in a box with the wedding picture that included Rhodey, and a few other items. That was the main box that he had taken great care with, and wrapped everything very carefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew that once he had finished bolting everything down that day, that it would be the day that he flew. Mitch and Christine were due for a visit the next day and he didn’t want them to see that he was packing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he moved to bolting the table, there was a knock on the door and his heart sank. If they were early, there was no way he could ignore the door without them worrying. During one of the early visits, he hadn’t answered the door and Mitch had actually kicked it down in their worry. He had been fine, just lying in bed and not wanting to converse with anyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr Stark?” A voice called through the door, and he recognized it as Peter Parker’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is he doing here?” He said out loud as he got up to head to the door. The boy was knocking quite emphatically and when Tony pulled the door open, he almost got a fist to the face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh Mr Stark. I’m so sorry.” Peter pulled his hand down as he greeted Tony, who raised his eyebrow in question. He used his body to prevent the kid from seeing into the penthouse even as Peter tried to glance past around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here kid?” Tony asked sharply. He didn’t mean to be so harsh but he really didn’t want to interact with this kid right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My project got stolen!” Peter cried out and Tony frowned at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My project got stolen. My one that I told you about- I got permission, and just finished it last week, and my co-worker Quentin stole it! No one will do anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you came to see me?” Tony asked harshly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yes? I know you don’t run the day-to-day business anymore, but it is your company! I thought maybe you could help me. The R&amp;D directors aren’t doing anything.” Peter stepped forwards Tony, and he could see that he looked quite upset. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, I wish I could but I can’t.” Tony replied. He wanted the kid to go away, he didn’t want to have to explain anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please.” Peter replied pleading. He glanced over Tony’s shoulder and then looked back at him. “You’re packing. Are you leaving?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I am.” Tony replied quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are you going?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Away from here.” Tony answered. “Kid, I’m really sorry but I can’t help you, and you have to go.” Tony moved to shut the door and Peter put out a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Mr Stark, please. I need you-” Tony moved Peter’s hand and shut the door in his face. He allowed himself to feel guilty for just a moment before pulling away. He needed to get those remaining items bolted down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he had done that, he surveyed the penthouse to ensure that all was taken care of, before he opened his phone. The jets that he had installed on the outside of the penthouse- which had been dangerous and taken a lot of care- were taken care of through his phone and would be controlled through his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat himself down in his chair, he had pulled Pepper’s armchair next to him and he held onto the arm, as he set the jets to start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were numerous jolts and bumps and Tony almost fell out of the seat as the penthouse separated from the rest of the building, and then Tony was airborne. He was staring straight out the windows and he could see the buildings growing smaller and smaller as he flew. He was glad that FRIDAY had informed him of every single thing that needed to be bolted down, as the building was swaying as it flew, and he had no doubt items would have been falling and moving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he stared out the windows, there was a massive thud on the other side of the building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that FRIDAY?” He called out as he turned around, trying to see what had fallen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There appears to be someone hanging onto the side of the building.” FRIDAY replied, and Tony found himself on his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WHAT?!” He shouted out as he moved closer to the windows. “Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony’s question was answered a moment later when he saw a figure crawl around so he could see them.The brown haired man was clinging with what looked like gloves as they crawled along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that Peter Parker?” He cried out as he hurried to open up one of the windows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter looked like he had a firm grip on the windows but Tony’s heart was pounding at the thought that he could fall any moment. The wind was blowing harshly as Tony reached out the window to grab at the young man. Peter saw his hand and pulled one of his hands off the window to reach for him. Tony grabbed the hand and pulled Peter in through the window before the window shut again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell?!” Tony shot out as he let go of Peter, and sat back down in the armchair., clutching onto the arm of Pepper’s chair as he tried to get this heart under control. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hey Mr Stark.” Peter greeted as he stood up and brushed himself off. He took the gloves off and threw them into the pocket of his hoodie as he looked sheepishly at Tony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t “Hey Mr Stark” me Peter Parker. Why and how were you hanging on the side of my building?” Tony massaged his chest with his free hand not holding onto Pepper’s armchair arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well in my defense, I was not planning on jumping onto the side of the building. But I happened to have my sticky gloves in my backpack, and your house started flying. I’ve never stuck them to something like that before, so I was really afraid that they wouldn’t work, and I was just going to fall.” Peter moved to sit in the chair next to Tony, and then stopped at what Tony assumed was a look on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why were you even here still? Didn’t I send you away hours ago?” Tony asked the kid who opted to sit on the floor instead. Peter reached into his jeans pocket to get his cell phone out and started scrolling through it before handing it to Tony. He looked down to see a message chain from someone named Q.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Quentin Beck.” Peter supplied and Tony nodded as he looked at the text exchange. The messages started as friendly, to downright threatening and Tony noticed his name mentioned a few times- including the most recent message where Quentin appeared to be threatening Tony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He somehow knew that I had come to see you, and sent that last message threatening you when I was on my way back to Stark Industries. I turned around when he sent that to come and warn you. Right as I got back, your house started flying and I just crawled up the wall and held on.” Peter brushed his hand through his hair and then took the phone back from Tony when he held it out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony found himself surprised at Peter’s words. He didn’t know this Quentin Beck beyond having seen his resume a few years ago before SI had hired him. There was no reason for him to have threatened Tony, and he was even more surprised that Peter had turned around to warn him, after he had been harsh and kicked him out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you come tell me?” Tony asked Peter the question. “I kicked you out pretty effectively there kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, like I told you the first time we met, you’ve been an inspiration to me. I- um- I’m also familiar with losing my family. And Quentin is actually pretty crazy. I think he wants to take over Stark Industries, and my project meant that he could do that.” Peter explained as he put the phone back in the pocket. “My backpack is somewhere down there in an alleyway. I may have thrown it when I saw Quentin’s last text.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything important in there?” Tony asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah. I have my gloves, and my phone and it was mostly just clothes in there.” Peter replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony sighed as he realized that he was stuck with this 23-year old, he would just have to bring him back to the city at some point, he might as well chat to the kid, especially as he had come to warn Tony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me about these gloves.” Tony motioned to Peter’s pocket. “How are they sticky?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s super strong adhesive. I made it in the lab at Stark Industries and added them to gloves. I do have some socks back at my apartment but those don’t stick as well.” Peter glanced around and then back out the window. “Where are we going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> weren’t supposed to be going anywhere. I was getting out of the city, and going upstate.” Tony replied. “You weren’t part of the plan, but since you decided to stick to my windows, and you are here now, I don’t have much choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me.” Peter replied and Tony rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kid, this is the third time we’ve spent any time with one another, and the last time I was pushing you out the door. I haven’t been nice to you.” Tony replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t spoken this much to someone in months, not even Christine and Mitch- but there was something so endearing with this kid that he found himself enjoying his company. It was completely unexpected, and not what he had wanted, but he found himself not hating it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well no, but that’s okay. After I lost my parents, I wasn’t that nice for a few months.” Peter replied as he shrugged. “Can I have some water?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, there’s some water bottles tied down in the fridge. You can have one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony wasn’t sure how long they had been flying when he felt the penthouse jolt suddenly. Peter had been standing by one of the walls and he fell over before he could stop himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that normal?” Peter asked as he pulled himself up, and Tony shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“FRI?” He called out as he pulled out his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss?” FRIDAY replied, and Peter gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that like SIRI?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Much more advanced kid. This is FRIDAY.” Tony replied distractedly. He could see that some of the jets were starting to fail when they had been designed to be airtight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It looks like some of the jets are failing boss.” FRIDAY replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I got that FRI!” Tony shouted back. His stomach lurched as the penthouse dropped a significant amount of feet. He threw himself into the armchair and motioned to Peter to sit down in Pepper’s. Peter raced across the penthouse to throw himself into the chair and Tony instinctively put his arm across the kids’ chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we going to crash?” Peter asked as the penthouse dropped again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Tony shot back as he tried to brace himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh gosh.” Peter said quietly as the penthouse dropped again, taking Tony’s stomach with it. He tried to brace himself, and Peter as they finally smashed into the ground. The windows all shattered, and Tony threw his spare arm over his face to protect it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” He asked Peter when he took his hand away from his face to look at him. Peter nodded, and Tony looked around the penthouse. The windows had smashed, and some of the paintings that he had left on the walls had fallen, and broken. All of the bolted down chairs and tables were still in their place,  and he could only hope that all of the boxes had survived through the crash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My legs are shaky.” Peter told Tony as the two of them went to stand up. “That was crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay though?” Tony asked again and Peter nodded again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My phone even survived!” Peter said gleefully as he pulled the phone out of his pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a Stark phone. I created those things to survive anything.” Tony replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ohhhh- that’s smart.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stark Industries hasn’t been successful because i’m an idiot Peter.” Tony replied, and Peter burst into laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should see where we are.” Tony said once Peter had stopped laughing. The kids’ laugh had lightened something inside of him, something that he hadn’t felt in a long period of time, and he couldn’t deny that it felt good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped carefully through the glass, Peter following behind him to see that they were in a wooded area. It wasn’t the same woods that they had been aiming for but they were definitely out of the city. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are these the woods you were aiming for?” Peter asked, and Tony shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no idea where we are.kid.” Tony replied. “FRI?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was zero response from the AI, and Tony’s stomach sank. The AI was designed to never fail, to always be there for whenever Tony needed her. The fact that she wasn’t working did not bode well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, should your AI be working?” Peter asked as he looked at Tony, looking very nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Tony replied as he tried to get her to work. She wanted nothing to do with that, and he still had no AI. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My phone won’t get a signal either.” Peter spoke up as he pulled his own phone out. “It’s never lost its signal before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to have to take a walk to see if we can find anything.” Tony suggested. Peter put his phone back into his pocket and dashed back into the penthouse.Tony watched as he grabbed some water bottles from the fridge and then came back over to where Tony was standing. He handed one to Tony who nodded in appreciation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony opened the bottle and took a swig before he set off with Peter following behind him. He really didn’t want to leave the penthouse and all of the belongings in there unattended, but he didn’t have very much choice in the matter. He couldn’t let Peter go off by himself when the two of them had zero idea where they were, and he couldn’t exactly carry anything with him. Once they figured out where they were, he could find his way back to the penthouse. He really didn’t think that there would really be a chance of anyone finding and taking things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said you lost your parents?” He asked Peter as they set off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. They were killed in a car accident about 10 years ago. I was supposed to be with them, but I ended up getting sick and was with my aunt and uncle. They took me in afterwards, and raised me. My uncle died about 5 years ago, so it’s just my aunt and I now.” Peter smiled sadly at Tony who instantly felt sympathy for the kid. He had been twenty when he had lost his own parents but Peter had only been 13.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry kid. That’s a lot of family to lose.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is. My uncle was shot in front of me, so that took a fair amount of therapy to get through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s why you wanted to create this technology?” Tony asked, suddenly understanding why Peter had been so passionate about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought it would have been something that could have helped me when he was shot, and it could help anyone who has been through any similar tragedy.” Peter replied. His eyes looked glassy as Tony looked at him, and his smile seemed wobbly. “For a long time, I felt like I was the reason for his death, so I think it would have helped me ease that guilt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you shoot him?” Tony asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No!” Peter shot back quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then how could you have possibly been the reason for his death?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was a robbery that I didn’t stop and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold up.” Tony interrupted Peter and waited until Peter looked at him. “You were 13 right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why should you have stopped a robbery? No one would have been at fault for that except the robbers.” Tony responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that now. But it took me a while to get there.” Peter explained. “My aunt always told me that she never blamed me, but it took me my own time to get there. I have a great therapist though. She came from SI.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was all Pepper with that.” Tony smiled as he remembered the day that Pepper had announced that mental health needed to have much more prominent coverage with their health insurance. She had spent weeks finding the best therapists that she could, and interviewing them extensively before hiring them. Tony had thought Rhodey had had something to do with that, pretty sure that he had told Pepper how bad Tony had gotten in college particularly right after losing his parents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was a pretty incredible woman. I met her a few times.” Peter said softly, and Tony smiled again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was that.” He said. Talking about her was never easy, but remembering her kind, selfless heart was something that he liked to do. He had never met someone as unfailingly kind and wonderful as she had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them walked in silence for a while, both thinking about their respective loved ones. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a few hours before Peter suddenly stopped and looked around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve seen that bush already. I think we’re walking in circles.” Peter frowned as he glanced around. “And that tree we definitely passed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Tony blinked, the landscape in front of him suddenly changed before his eyes. It was suddenly dark, way darker than it should have been. He looked over at Peter who was still standing behind him, and the kid looked terrified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god.” Peter breathed out and Tony raised an eyebrow in question. “It has to be Beck. He’s manipulating the illusions. He’s here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right- I am here.” Tony jerked around to see a bearded man walking towards them. He was wearing a pair of glasses and Peter made an angry noise behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made those glasses! You had zero right to steal them.” Peter yelled out and Beck just laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t have left them out Peter. Where anyone could have taken them.” Beck sneered and Peter made another angry noise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were in my locked locker Beck. You broke into my locker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can talk about semantics all day long, but I have the glasses now Peter, and you don’t. I have you, and Stark here, and I can manipulate you all day long. Or night. You’ve been walking around in circles for the last few hours without even realizing it. You were never going to find anyone. You’re about 200 feet away from where I brought the penthouse down.” Beck grinned evilly, and then the scene in front of Tony changed again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was in a meadow in bright sunshine with flowers all around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony.” A voice called, and Tony looked around to see Pepper walking towards him. She was wearing a white flowing dress, and her hair was down and flowing as she walked. She looked strong, and healthy and just how she had looked when Tony had lost her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pep?” Tony called out to her, tears already flowing down his cheeks. Realistically he knew that Beck was manipulating him, but at the moment he couldn’t find himself enough to care. Pepper, his wife that he missed so much, who he never thought he would see again, was standing right in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tony.” He put a hand out to Pepper’s face, as the tears overwhelmed him. She was solid in front of him, and he gasped when his hand met her face. She closed her eyes as she brought her own hand up to his and caressed the back of his gently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you so much.” Tony said to her and she smiled at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know honey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were taken from me far too soon.” Tony whimpered and Pepper nodded. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I know honey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish you were still with me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do too Tony, but i’m not.” Pepper’s face suddenly changed, and she pulled away from Tony. “Because you didn’t get me help in time. It’s all your fault that I’m gone.” Pepper’s face turned angry and twisted, and Tony took a step back from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No- Pep. I tried. I tried to get you help.” The tears were spilling down his face, and falling off his chin as he pleaded with Pepper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you didn’t. You just sat there, you didn’t help anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh dear, poor Tony Stark. Lost everyone who ever cared about him.” Beck’s voice taunted and Tony tried to take a deep breath. “Always being the one left behind when everyone around him dies. Anyone who gets close to Tony Stark dies.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop!” He shouted out as he tried to cover his ears. “Stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay, I’ll stop.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The scene changed again, and then Rhodey was standing in front of him. They were standing outside a building late at night, and the rain was pouring down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rhodey.” Tony gasped out but Rhodey just stared at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your fault.” Rhodey called out and Tony let a sob loose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your fault my daughter lost her father.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before anyone could say anything else, the scene changed again and Tony found himself back in the forest. Peter was standing next to him, and Beck was across from both of them. He had the glasses in one hand, and was glaring at Peter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony glanced down to see that the kid had a cut across his forehead that was bleeding profusely, and he was holding his shoulder with a grimace. Beck looked pissed and had a cut along one cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do?!” Tony shouted at Beck who sneered at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This little brat attacked me.” Beck screamed out. “You took him from his wife!” Beck shouted at Peter who shouted back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had him in an illusion! It wasn’t real, and you are messing with his head! That’s cruel Beck. That’s not why I created those glasses! You’re using them for the wrong reason. So many good things could be done with those and you are using them for bad!” Peter screamed back. “You can’t just use them to take over Stark Industries! I’d never let you do that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to try to stop me?” Beck taunted, and Peter moved quicker than Tony could follow. He had launched himself halfway across the field and was at Beck’s side before Tony had even been able to move. His face was still wet, and his eyes hurt from sobbing at seeing Pepper and Rhodey again, even if it was mean-spirited and not an actual look at the two of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Peter shouted as he launched a kick at Beck’s hand. The man jerked back and Peter stumbled as his foot hit the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony watched as he recovered and reached into his pocket for something. The item was put on his wrist, and then he shot a white substance out of what looked like a large bracelet to Tony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Beck shouted out as the substance grabbed onto his wrist and the glasses. Peter pulled the glasses away from Beck, and into his pocket. Beck roared and instantly sent a punch at Peter’s face. The 23-year-old ducked quickly and launched his own punch back at Beck. He hit Beck solidly in the face, and the man stumbled back onto the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t hurt us anymore Beck. I have the glasses- no more illusions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I can definitely still hurt you.” Beck taunted and before Tony could wonder what that meant, there was a massive explosion and then fire erupted from behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beck!” Peter screamed out before he threw another kick at the man. Beck stumbled to the ground and didn’t get back up, and Peter rushed away. Tony thought that he was running at him and started to brace himself, but he rushed past Tony and kept running.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony glanced back at Beck who hadn’t moved, and took off after Peter. He made it about 100 yards before he realized what was on fire, and intense pain struck him in the chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The penthouse was on fire. A fire that was already raging hard and heavy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Tony got out before he sank to his knees. The pain was radiating through his chest as he sobbed. All of Pepper’s belongings, his memories- it was gone in one foul swoop. Having just seen her made the pain feel even worse. He had saved all of her belongings, and now they were gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter!” He cried out as he saw the dark figure ahead run straight into the fire. “GET OUT!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hesitated for a few moments before he stumbled up to his feet, and started to stumble towards the fire. He needed to get to Peter, to get him out of the blaze, but his legs just weren’t working as quickly as he wanted them to, a disconnect between his brain and his legs- his brain struggling to comprehend exactly what was happening, and what had just happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“PETER!” He screamed out again, hardly being able to believe that he had just seen him run into what would be certain death. Another person who was going to die because of him. “PETER!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr Stark!” A figure rushed out of the fire and towards him. He recognized halfway that it was Peter, and that he was carrying a box with him as he stumbled towards Tony. Peter stopped next to him and set the box down, gasping as he coughed and grabbed at his injured shoulder. Tony reached over and thumped him on the back as he choked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was incredibly stupid.” Tony told Peter who just coughed and pointed down to the box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tried to save something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After giving Peter a look and a few more thumps on the back, Tony knelt down next to the damaged box to see that Peter had grabbed the box that held the crooked vase, the wedding portrait, a box with some of Pepper’s jewelry and her wedding ring, some of the glassware from their wedding, and a folder with some of Tony’s favorite pictures- pictures that included his mom, Pepper and Rhodey. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter…” His voice wavered as he gave in to the sobs again. He had just lost so many things, but Peter had saved some of the most important to Tony. He had made it so Tony still had some physical memories of both Pepper and Rhodey. “Oh my god.” Tony’s legs gave out from under him and he thumped fully down to the ground as he grabbed the jewelry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was the first box I could find. I wanted to get more.” Peter wheezed out and Tony reached out to put his free hand on his back, which was still heaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter, you just saved the most important box. But that was absolutely not worth your life.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what it’s like to lose items from loved ones you’ve lost. I didn’t want you to lose everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God Pete.” Tony put the jewelry back down and covered his eyes with a shaking hand, as he kept the other one on Peter’s back as the kid coughed. “You’re incredible. You just took down Beck, and you just rushed into a fire, and saved this box.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, now that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Peter grinned and Tony just shook his head. Peter had blood dripping down his face from the cut on his forehead, and his face was sooty and red, but he was still grinning and joking with Tony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to know about what you just put in your wrist, and any other surprises you might have. There seems to be a lot that you have shoved into that hoodie pocket of yours.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter’s face lit up and he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made quite a few inventions based off of spiders. I think they are amazing.I can definitely tell you about them! Spider Inventions are out there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I going to regret this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh 100% Mr Stark. 100%.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did I let you talk me into this again kid?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not a kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony laughed at Peter’s face as the two of them sat down on the couch in Tony’s new apartment. Tony had been very against the idea but as Peter had reminded him, he needed somewhere new to live after the penthouse had been destroyed. Peter had convinced Tony that coming back to New York City was the best choice, and Christina and Mitch had been very on board with it as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May and Happy will be back in a few minutes.” Peter informed Tony who nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter had been there with him pretty much everyday since the fire and Beck- who was now in jail-, and Tony found himself immensely grateful for it. He hadn’t imagined that he would welcome someone new into his life, and now there were multiple new people. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter had introduced him to his aunt May, and her boyfriend Happy who had also welcomed him with open arms. Happy had been the one to find the apartment that Tony and Peter were now sitting in, and the three had helped find Tony some items to furnish it, with suggestions from Christina and Mitch. They had been horrified when Tony had explained what had happened, and Mitch had immediately started a new round of vetting all of their employees, even firing a few who had been working closely with Beck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The items that Peter had saved from the fire had been taken care of and cleaned up, and were now all in the apartment- some of the pictures already on the walls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The picture of the wedding day had been reframed and placed right above the television in the living room, with the rest of them spread about the apartment. It wasn’t a huge apartment but it was more than enough for Tony and Peter, who had informed Tony without any uncertainty that he would be there often. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The damaged vase had been carefully placed on a table in the hallway where it wouldn’t get knocked about- somehow still all the pieces were there- despite everything that it had gone through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re back!” May called out as she and Happy walked through the door, carrying the last few items. Both Tony and Peter had been shut down upon attempting to help, which hadn’t been Happy’s favorite suggestion at all. He put down the box of plates he was carrying and sat himself down in the chair next to Peter and Tony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you again. I really mean it.” Tony said to Happy and then turned to May, who smiled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Peter has only ever spoken highly of you, so I admit that I was curious to meet you, and we absolutely don’t mind helping you move.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going back to Stark Industries like Peter said?” Happy asked Tony who glanced at Peter. The young adult only shrugged at him and he turned back to Happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am. I’m going to spend some time in the labs and see what comes of it.” Tony replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony coming back to the labs had been Christina’s ideas and Tony had agreed hesitantly. He hadn’t stepped foot in SI in some time, and he was very hesitant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter had been thrilled and instantly wanted to make sure that Tony would still agree to help him with any of his “Spider Inventions” that he had created. He had shown quite a few to Tony since the fire, but he had told Tony he had quite a few more, and his friend Ned had some ideas as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Peter is quite excited.” May informed Tony as she settled herself next to Happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mayyyyyy.” Peter whined, and Tony laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been doing that a lot more lately, feeling genuinely happy and like the pain in his chest was lessening slightly. It would always be there, holes in his heart for both Pepper and Rhodey but this kid had come along and helped to repair some of the other emptiness in his heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid had shown him that there was a reason to live, and to keep going on. He still had his moments everyday when the pain from losing Pepper and Rhodey was excruciating and he knew that wasn’t going to go away ever, but he was finding it easier to get up and face the day. The thoughts of months and years passing by was ever so slightly easier now. He had this kid, this kids’ family, Christina and Mitch and he was going to be okay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He had a trip to Italy planned now- a trip that Peter, May and Happy had all decided was going to happen when Tony had happened to mention it- a trip that they were all going to go on with Mitch and Christina and Peter’s friend Ned, to remember all who had been lost. Tony had attempted to plan some, only to be told by Peter to let May and Happy handle it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to be okay. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please leave comments- they give me life. :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know what you think, and the second chapter will be up on Thurs!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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